Democratic People's Republic of Korea

[ermen]

Re: Democratic People's Republic of Korea (North Korea)

A pretty action packed day as we were taken to Kim Il-sung Square square next. Communists for some reason like big open spaces and the DPRK was no different.

When we arrived, we saw a whole bunch of high school students rehearsing - were moving around and marching around - probably some event to commemorate Kim Il Sung I suppose. Was told by our guides not to interrupt them. As you can see from the video, was pretty cool though.

[video=youtube;Fc0SozXLqnE]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Fc0SozXLqnE&feature=plcp[/video]

Opposite the square and across the river was the Juche Tower which was a monument to the DPRK's ideology of Juche.

Tired, we were all ready for dinner though our guide pointed out some new apartment buildings that were recently built for the people of Pyongyang (probably for the elite). These were considered "luxurious" and were outfitted with modern electrical appliances. Did not look too bad I thought. Dinner was soup, chicken, fish, pork, potatoes, kimchi, rice and more Taedonggang beer!

 

[MEL_Traveller]

Re: Democratic People's Republic of Korea (North Korea)

just a quick question - how did you book the Kunlun hotel? Or did the tour company do that for you? And just to confirm - the North Korea visa - you get that on arrival? (no need to organise n AU?)

I am seriously thinking of going end of next week (31 August). Is it an ok tour to go solo?

 

[ermen]

Re: Democratic People's Republic of Korea (North Korea)

just a quick question - how did you book the Kunlun hotel? Or did the tour company do that for you? And just to confirm - the North Korea visa - you get that on arrival? (no need to organise n AU?)

Hi, I booked Kunlun hotel on Ctrip.com. I actually think the cheaper room without windows is better as you don't hear the traffic noise in the morning!

Re visas, It was arranged through the Dandong tour agency who did everything - was a very simple process just send in a digital passport photo and some details. FYI, for some reason passport was not stamped at all as well!

Well you can go solo but you need to arrange for a North Korean guide to be with you at all times and this is done through a tour agency. Not sure how enjoyable that would be IMHO though with you and your guide throughout.

 

[TonyHancock]

Re: Democratic People's Republic of Korea (North Korea)

This is perhaps the most extraordinary trip report I have read. Utterly fascinating.

 

[MEL_Traveller]

Re: Democratic People's Republic of Korea (North Korea)

Hi, I booked Kunlun hotel on Ctrip.com. I actually think the cheaper room without windows is better as you don't hear the traffic noise in the morning!

Re visas, It was arranged through the Dandong tour agency who did everything - was a very simple process just send in a digital passport photo and some details. FYI, for some reason passport was not stamped at all as well!

Well you can go solo but you need to arrange for a North Korean guide to be with you at all times and this is done through a tour agency. Not sure how enjoyable that would be IMHO though with you and your guide throughout.

thanks. No I meant solo as part of the group. Just i don't know if I can scrape anyone together to leave in 10 days with me! how much notice to do you need to give the tour agency to arrange the visa? pretty much a day or so?

 

[ermen]

Re: Democratic People's Republic of Korea (North Korea)

thanks. No I meant solo as part of the group. Just i don't know if I can scrape anyone together to leave in 10 days with me! how much notice to do you need to give the tour agency to arrange the visa? pretty much a day or so?

OIC. Yes there were solo travellers in our group (foreigners and Chinese) and from what I could tell was not a problem. Ultimately though will have some element of luck involve as you may / may not like the mix of people on tour. You will need to pay more if you don't fancy sharing with someone you don't know.

It seemed to me that the visa only took a day or so to arrange (they said if you didn't want to go to the DPRK, let them know a day before so they won't do the visa for you :shock. But I guess the more time they have the better it is.

 

[ermen]

Re: Democratic People's Republic of Korea (North Korea)

This is perhaps the most extraordinary trip report I have read. Utterly fascinating.

You flatter TonyHancock. I thought some of your TRs were pretty interesting too!

 

[samh004]

Re: Democratic People's Republic of Korea (North Korea)

Just read through up to here and loving the TR, can’t wait to do it myself… one day!

 

[MEL_Traveller]

Re: Democratic People's Republic of Korea (North Korea)

OIC. Yes there were solo travellers in our group (foreigners and Chinese) and from what I could tell was not a problem. Ultimately though will have some element of luck involve as you may / may not like the mix of people on tour. You will need to pay more if you don't fancy sharing with someone you don't know.

It seemed to me that the visa only took a day or so to arrange (they said if you didn't want to go to the DPRK, let them know a day before so they won't do the visa for you :shock. But I guess the more time they have the better it is.

thanks for the quick and comprehensive replies!

 

[Major]

Re: Democratic People's Republic of Korea (North Korea)

What an unusual, but thorough, TR....keep it coming

 

[drron]

Re: Democratic People's Republic of Korea (North Korea)

Truly fascinating.Love it.

 

[Princess Fiona]

Great stuff ermen, brilliant candid shots, I am not a very adventurous tourist but love reading and watching TR from the people who are
Thankyou

 

[etops1]

Terrific stuff, I can't believe how green the countryside is, so much different to the barren browns of winter. Though the rain that's made it so verdant has caused it's own problems.
The mass dancers might have been preparing for the Mass Games?

Ah the Yanggakdo and its mysterious 5th floor. Did you partake of the many entertainment options in the basement?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rz1sadURGBg

I thought a DPRK visa would take at least a few weeks for a westerner but maybe it's shorter through a Chinese company.

 

[ermen]

Next morning we were due to visit Mount Myohyang which houses a museum displaying all the gifts that Kim Il Sung and Kim Jong Il received. However we were told that the road to this mountain was damaged by the floods, hence had to do something else. So we rescheduled to go to the West Sea Dam which was around 2.5 hours bus ride from Pyongyang. First up though, a stop at the village of Mangyongdae, the village home of Kim Il Sung (for some reason I didn't take many pictures of this place!). They have turned the village and its surrounds into a park now.

Some of Kim Il Sung's relatives (can't remember who now!)

A mural in the park

I happened to buy a copy of the Pyongyang Times which talked about a visit to Mangyongdae. Funny I did not feel a "surging yearning" for Kim Il Sung.



Next stop was the West Sea Dam which was a very good piece of engineering I thought - it was build to control the flow of the Taedong River and actually linked two bits of landmass in the North. I found a youtube video if you are interested in the history of this dam (was the same film we were shown at the site - wonder how the poster got it)

Here's a very happy man :shock:

Some propoganda at the Dam - actually noticed this bit of news all over North Korea

 

[jazza1971]

Thanks ermen, this is a great report for a country I'll never get to visit!

 

[ermen]

Went back to Pyongyang for lunch and passed a bit of highway that was under construction - unfortunately I do not think that their work methods are necessarily the most efficient.

Road in Pyongyang - again the Ryugyong Hotel dominates the skyline.

Lunch was in an unnamed Korean restaurant which was tucked away in some secluded place behind the street - definitely not for the locals! We were served a Korean hotpot with communal dishes of chicken, fish, vegetables. Not too bad

After lunch we were taken to see the (in)famous statues of Kim Il sung and Kim Jong Il. These statues are probably quite familiar to Western readers as they will appear in the media from time to time. The only difference is that there are now two guys now - with new statues being erected following the death of Kim Jong Il last year. The new Statues of Kim Il Sung and Kim Jong Il on Mansu Hill - YouTube

The statues were located on a big square on Mansudae Hill. Everyone who approaches the statue is required to line up in a single file in front of them and bow, with Koreans also required to place flowers at the site. Due to religious and ethical reasons, I decided to refrain from this "ceremony" and politely asked my Chinese (not North Korean) guide whether I could stay far away on the side and not participate - this was fine. Decided not to approach the statue after this "ceremony" in case I roused the ire of my North Korean guides!

Square on Mansudae Hill overlooking Pyongyang - just vast

 

[TheEmu]

Re: Democratic People's Republic of Korea (North Korea)

This TR is great: like a book you can't put down. Really enjoying it, and the photos, ermen keep 'em coming!

 

[ermen]

We were then taken to visit the Arc De Triomphe - North Korea style which I was told was around 10m higher than the Paris one Unlike the Paris one, cars actually pass under it. And unlike Paris, but it was OK to step onto the road to take a few pictures as traffic was not heavy at all (only in Pyongyang!)

Some random building near the Arc

We also visited a memorial to commerate the PRC soldiers who perished in the Korea war in aid of the North Koreans - this time they were required to bow three times to pay your respects - to which I refrained again. The basis of the Sino Korean friendship to this day was formed when the PRC intervened and assisted the beleagured North Korean communists in the Korean War - an action which tipped the balance and resulted in the "stalemate". The sacrifice was huge and Mao Zedong even lost his eldest son in an air strike during the conflict. . An interesting thought that I heard from a Chinese in relation to this conflict: The Chinese people are actually grateful to the Americans to have kill Mao's son - otherwise they themselves could have ended up in a cult of personality like North Korea. I'm not sure if this story is true as well, but apparently, the Chinese will bring senior North Korean officials to their own Korean war memorial to remind the DPRK that they are only there today because of the Chinese sacrifice.

https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-HpF49xx_WiQ/UDJGpNCKJjI/AAAAAAAAAek/_pRHDGrHkZ8/s720/IMG_4950.JPG

View from the memorial (you can see the Arc de Triomphe in background)

 

[dk4]

Re: Democratic People's Republic of Korea (North Korea)

Fantastic report, thanks for sharing.

Here's a snap I took, looking back in the other direction (South to North). (We had all sorts of restrictions on the photographs that we could take, which direction we could point the camera, where we could stand...)

And the border itself (North on the left, South on the right.)

 

[ermen]

Re: Democratic People's Republic of Korea (North Korea)

Next on the agenda was a visit to a local school - well post the visit there were discussions on whether it was an actual functioning school or a mock up. :shock: It was actually a very beautiful experience, espcially watching the young children performing at the end. They were very sweet and probably no different to the children of different countries. Personally, this visit went a long way to "humanise" the North Koreans in my mind. In any conflict, it will be these children that suffer. Heard comments from the local Chinese tourist who said that they could relate to this type of school was exactly how it was for them when they were young in communist China. Most interesting! :shock:

Entrance to the school

Main foyer of the school. Note the fan - I did not notice it as first but one of our fellow travellers said that it was placed there as the North Koreans believed the two Kims were still alive in "spirit" (note I have not verified this story).

Outdoor play area

Honours board (I presume)

Taxonomy room - we do not even have that in Australia I think?

School children performance

I've attached some clips of the school performance by the kids. It was great, especially at the end where the attempted to "engage" the audience by getting them up to dance (fortunately I managed to avoid it as I am no Fred Astaire)

[video=youtube;LLM9y_i22do]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LLM9y_i22do&feature=plcp[/video]